Tag: discovered species

The latest-to-be-discovered species on the planet is named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The title and hyperlink of this blog post has been edited to correct a spelling error.

The latest-to-be-discovered species of life on Earth has been officially named in honor a true American badass:

Scientists from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History researching female praying mantis genitalia have named a newly discovered species after an unlikely subject: Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The new species, Ilomantis ginsburgae, comes from Madagascar and is the first praying mantis species to be delineated by observing the female genitalia, as opposed to the male genitalia that are generally the standard for classifying species.

The researchers said they named the mantis for the 83-year-old justice for two reasons: Her “commitment to women’s rights and gender equality,” and her penchant for wearing a jabot — Ginsburg’s signature lace collar, which looks much like the insect’s neck plate.

The Ginsburg Praying Mantis (scientific name: Ilomantis ginsburgae) is officially named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a progressive Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Very awesome!